Be it a group of companies, or small to medium enterprises, every organization sometimes needs a helping hand to handle their day-to-day delivery needs. By outsourcing delivery jobs, SMEs can better focus on their core activities and grow their businesses professionally. It could also save time and money.
Let’s face it, hiring a full time driver or a team of delivery boys isn’t always cost effective or even a valuable resource, especially when you need to consider the costs of the driver to the company: salary, medical insurance, annual ticket, gratuity, leave salary and so on. These expenses can accumulate to up to AED 5,000 per month. Couple that with the cost of renting a vehicle, which is roughly AED 3,000 a month including fuel, Salik and possibly traffic fines. As a result, if your business were to handle deliveries in-house, the cost of each job could reach AED70. If you’re not keeping your driver busy throughout the month, your return on investment could end up being negative. Ask yourself if you have allocated a budget that could have been utilised in other areas of your business crucial to its growth.
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Outsourced delivery services
Today, there are several delivery and errand service companies in the UAE that provide solutions in this space. Their services include same-day pickup and drop-offs either via mototrbike or van. Additional services include business errands such as bill payments, corporate gift distribution, purchase of office supplies and bulk mailing. The cost of the services depends on whether the item is being delivered within a particular emirate or to other emirates. A typical delivery by motorbike from The Palm Jumierah to Dubai Festival City costs roughly AED58 on Mashaweer.com for example. Assuming an in-house driver and vehicle would cost your business AED70 per job, by outsourcing the service, you could end up saving AED12 per delivery.
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What items can I have delivered?
Delivery and errands services handle several items including computers, small pieces of office equipment, books, samples, cakes and so much more. You could even have bank errands completed for you. These companies also provide flower shop deliveries to brick and mortar stores and bakeries.
Hani El Sherbini is the co-founder of Mashaweer Errands Services, a new enterprise he launched in July 2012 to fill a gap in the market. Hani has set up several other ventures before Mashaweer including Supply Chain Solutions & Mawazeen General Trading. www.mashaweeruae.com
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